As ASI celebrates the Modern Workplace in the month of June, I will continue to explore the transformation of the office landscape. A successful company needs to attract, nurture, and retain the talent that will drive innovation and execution, and bring the organization's strategy to fruition. Noted in the Herman Miller showroom during NeoCon, the legendary brand identified five key principles engaged employees are seeking: security, autonomy, belonging, achievement, status and purpose. Another global industry leader Steelcase stated "employee engagement is a serious, bottom-line issue." Since there is a direct correlation between engagement and performance, it is driving new design concepts of how and where we work with a powerful sense of incorporating collaboration culture.

While the A&D community is developing workspaces that feel intuitive and foster collaboration to boost productivity, a new challenge has emerged - the privacy crisis. NeoCon, one of the premiere tradeshows for corporate finishes (with over 40,000 architecture and design professionals in attendance), acknowledged and addressed the privacy concerns that are a growing design issue. The need for a place where focused work can be done without distraction is increasing in the changing office environment. Steelcase added, "While collaboration remains critical for driving innovation, the ability to focus, reflect and reinvigorate is critical for successful collaboration."

ASI Product Display in the Materials Pavilion at NeoCon 2014

The materials chosen for these type of designs are more important than ever, requiring both form and function. ASI showcased WHAT'S NEXT® in Corporate Interiors in the Materials Pavilion, inspiring designers with our award-winning innovative finishes for contract projects that will rejuvenate the employees in these new kind of places to work.

As Materialista® I collaborate on a lot of interesting projects. D'Addario is a great example of how a company evolved a space to adapt to their changing needs. Did you know that they are one of the world's largest musical string producers with a history dating back to the 1600s?! D'Addario's in-house team searched for a signature material to refresh their Artist Lounge, a multi-use area where they conduct photo shoots, performances and meetings with famous music personalities. They chose Interwoven Eco-Panels for a feature wall, which offered textural but abstract details, complementing the clean look and even added acoustical value to this reimagined space - all while maintaining their corporate sustainability practices and reinforcing their global brand image. Talk about perfect harmony!

I love getting my BirchBox in the mail! You can imagine how excited I was to collaborate with Design 3 when Manny Enriquez, Principal of Design 3 created an environment for socialization and ideation, incorporating the fresh and fun brand with natural-looking materials from ASI: Fusion Wood Panels and ASI Porcelain Wood Grains. The office boasts several social spaces where employees can interact, including a large kitchen that features an Agglomerate Stone slab counter, perfect for dishing ideas!

The workplace is evolving for the better. It's about change! Shifts and paradigms will impact the way designers approach the modern workplace. With the importance of this changing methodology, a great quote I read in the Harvard Business Review from Bill Taylor (the co-founder of Fast Company) resonates extremely well, "You can't be special, distinctive and compelling in the marketplace unless you create something special, distinctive and compelling in the workplace." I look forward to working with you find your special, distinctive and compelling materials! The challenge of translating the brand into materials is what I enjoy the most!

As July approaches, our focus will shift from the Modern Workplace to Summer Retreats! Enjoy the weather!